On Wings of Storm
by fyd818
Summary: As another wave broke over the pier above her head, Teyla felt a different sort of wave engulf her. RononTeyla Next in SAWS, Spanky A Week Summer.


Disclaimer: I don't own _Stargate: Atlantis_ or the characters therein, and don't claim to. (If I _did_ own _Atlantis_, Ronon and Teyla would be long and happily married with half a dozen kids and a dog.) This fic was written for entertainment purposes only, not monetary gain, though I am hoping to get a couple of reviews outta the deal. . .

Summary: As another wave broke over the pier above her head, Teyla felt a different sort of wave engulf her. RononTeyla Next in SAWS, Spanky A Week Summer.

Rating: K+

Warnings: If you don't like thunderstorms. . .

Pairing: Ronon/Teyla (Spanky)

Spoilers: _The Storm_; _The Eye_; _Runner_

Part: 1/1

Title: _On Wings of Storm_

Author: fyd818

**Author's Note**: This story was inspired by a thunderstorm one early morning, plus my general adoration of Ronon/Teyla, and the break of a long bought of writer's block. (Oh, dreaded words. . .) It appears to me that Atlantis's piers have some space between the actual landing pad and the water below, almost as if there are rooms underneath. I am going on that premise in this fic. This can _kind of_ be seen as a prequel to my fic _The Chieftain's Daughter_ – not written for SAWS, but a Spanky fic nonetheless. This is before Ronon and Teyla admitted they'd married while the expedition was briefly back on Earth, and they stayed with the Athosians. . . I see this fic taking place the night before the one in _Chieftain's Daughter_. If you would like to know more about SAWS, join, or find the other fics written for this year and last, there's a link to our forum in my profile. I hope you enjoy this fic, and thanks for checking it out! ~fyd

**Second Author's Note**: My apologies for setting a horrible standard for SAWS. Most of this fic has flowed very easily, but I did have one major problem. I was without a title for this fic, and I didn't think _Untitled_ would be very nice. But now I have a title (a _thousand million trillion_ – and yes, I do like to exaggerate, but seriously! – thanks goes out to my always-amazing beta, the lovely Mama Jo), so here we go! Thanks for being patient through these immensely long (sorry!) author's notes, and I hope you enjoy the fic! ~fyd

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On Wings of Storm

_fyd818_

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The disgruntled rumble of thunder from the storm on the horizon made Teyla Emmagan hurry her steps a little more. She'd long since outgrown her childhood fear of storms, but the desire to share the experience with the one she loved made her attempt to seek him out before it got closer, and they missed too much of the show.

Frustration began to overtake her excitement as Teyla searched the gym, the cafeteria, and – as a last-ditch effort – Ronon's, then her own, quarters: Nothing. She tried again and again to radio him: No luck with that either. It was either turned off, or he didn't have it with him.

Lightning flashed brightly, sending rainbow-colored patterns briefly splashing across the wall from the stained-glass windows on one side of the dimly-lit corridor. Where could Ronon possibly be at one in the morning? As the thunder finally built to its slow crescendo, she realized it was much closer than she'd first thought. Giving up her search, Teyla went to enjoy the show, even if it _was_ by herself.

She took a transporter from the personnel quarters out to the pier. Hastening her steps so she wouldn't miss anything exciting, she took the steps two at a time down to the lower level under the pier, usually used as a storeroom for supplies fresh off the _Daedalus_ or _Apollo,_ whichever ship was doing supply runs at the time. She encountered only a few rooms full of boxes – it wouldn't be too long until the _Daedalus_ returned with more things from Earth.

Teyla swiftly proceeded to the last room at the very end of the hall, the one with the best view of the outdoors. A quick sweep of her hand over the door controls allowed her entrance. It was dark in the empty storeroom, but that didn't bother her. Without turning on a light, she made her way across the room toward the window, anxious to be seated before the storm completely settled on top of the grand water city.

Her foot unexpectedly caught on something as she neared the window. Teyla heard a muffled curse as two hands grasped her waist, stopping her from bouncing her face off the floor. Embarrassed, she shoved her hair off her hot face, knowing instantly with every cell in her body whom she'd tripped over.

The next flash of lightning showed her a glimmer of green eyes lit with amusement, and white teeth bared in a grin at her clumsiness. "I knew you'd come," Ronon declared, as he effortlessly lifted her onto his lap. Pulling her back against his muscular chest, he wrapped his arms around her waist and very lightly rested his chin on her shoulder.

Thunder slowly grumbled its way up the sound chart until it ended in a great crash, muffled only slightly by Atlantis's thick walls. "I have been searching for you _everywhere_," she scolded, making herself resist the urge to melt back against him.

"Battery in my radio's dead. I haven't had a chance to replace it. I figured with a storm coming, you'd either beat me down here, or show up eventually. I was right." The distinct smugness in Ronon's tone made her want to laugh and hit him at the same time. When he kissed the side of her head, then brushed his lips slowly in a trail of kisses down her neck, she relented and, snuggling into his embrace, let out a soft chuckle.

It started to rain, wind driving the heavy drops in sweeping vertical curtains over the churning waves. "I love it when it storms." She closed her eyes as another peal of thunder sounded right overhead, so powerful it rattled the windows.

Ronon's arms suddenly tightened around her as he exclaimed, "Oh, look at _that_." She opened her eyes in time to see a big wave crash over the pier, directly outside the sturdy window. Teyla grinned in excitement, even bouncing a little, happy that the Atlantians didn't bother raising the shield for little storms like these. Compared to the full-out hurricane they'd had only a couple of years before, these occasional pop-ups were not worth wasting the ZPM's power.

Still, the storm was an awesome sight to behold. The lightning provided a bright backdrop for the turbulent waves and torrential rain, the wind whipping the water into a frenzy of movement; the thunder so loud she felt it vibrating in her chest. As another wave broke over the pier above her head, a different sort of wave engulfed Teyla. She remembered being a little girl, watching through a small gap in the tent as storms pounded their way over her village. Watching this storm as an adult, however, possessed definite advantages: she had Ronon to share the thrill with her. He'd once told her how he appreciated thunderstorms, since the time when one had once helped him outsmart a Wraith chasing him during his time as a Runner.

They'd come so far since they'd met in a cave on a cold morning – she tied up and _he_ holding her (and Sheppard) captive. Even then, Teyla had felt _something_ stirring deep inside her. . .

The storm began to fade away, slowly returning the night to its normal calm. Even when the thunder was once more only a distant rumble on the opposite horizon, she and Ronon continued to sit. Rare moments where they could enjoy each other's company with no worries, with no possibilities of being interrupted, were growing ever scarcer as time passed. It made each one all the more special to Teyla.

Eventually she began to feel drowsy. She glanced down at her watch, surprised that the luminescent numerals only showed it was a little after two in the morning. It felt like the storm had gone on for longer than that. Sighing, she tucked herself back a little closer to Ronon's warm, solid comfort, letting her now-heavy eyelids close. Lately she'd found herself having trouble sleeping, which she admitted to no one. On missions she would lie awake, acutely aware of Ronon lying in his own bedroll less than five feet away from hers, fighting to keep herself from reaching out for his comfort in the night. When in Atlantis, she found sleep no easier, aching with the knowledge that Ronon ached equally in a room more than a hundred feet away from hers. The times they dared be together in Atlantis were few and far between, and always left her wanting more. But they just couldn't bring themselves to let their secret marriage be known yet. They didn't know how the Earthlings would react, and they didn't want to run the risk of being separated, that was the most unbearable thought. . .

Nestled on her husband's lap, Teyla gradually relaxed, slipping toward sleep – deep, restful sleep. She luxuriated in his nearness: in his strong arms cradling her; his breath stirring her hair; his heart beating steadily against her back; his chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm to match her own. For a moment, lost in that nameless abyss between wakefulness and sleep, she felt lost – like she was standing out on the pier without the protection of the walls around her, the ceiling over her. Like the storm was washing over her, around her, and she couldn't move, couldn't escape it. Like she was drowning, crushed under a massive weight of water; dying, the thunder's bass roar a part of her very bones. . .

She jerked awake, gasping and squirming. "Sorry." Ronon's voice whispered hoarsely into her ear. "Didn't mean to wake you up." He sat up straight again, his hands sliding in slow, comforting circles across her midriff. Shaking off the remnants of her nightmare, Teyla realized its cause: Falling asleep himself, Ronon had slumped forward, pinning her between his chest and her own legs.

Breathing a shaky laugh, she put her hands over his, stilling their caressing and then gently pulling them away. "It is time for bed anyway. You were snoring." Teyla carefully extracted herself from his arms and lap, delicately covering a yawn with the back of her hand. The moon, finally making an apologetic appearance from behind the clouds, washed the storeroom in a pale, milky glow.

Ronon stood, taking a moment to stretch widely. Teyla clenched her hands into fists, wanting so _badly_ to reach up and caress with her fingertips the little bit of honey skin she could see beneath the raised hem of his shirt. Her tall Satedan husband dropped his arms, and she instantly turned her face away to hide her longing. She couldn't let herself start anything, not tonight. Not when they were leaving for New Athos the early the next day – no, _today_ – with the rest of their team.

A hand appeared before her; she gratefully accepted Ronon's assistance to stand. She clung to his hand for a moment, reluctant to break the contact. "Snoring? I was not." He let go of her hand, but she was not bereft of his touch for long. His arm settled around her shoulders as they left the storeroom.

In an effort to camouflage her feelings, Teyla bumped her hip sideways into the outside of his right thigh. "You _were too_ snoring. You were so loud, I thought the storm had somehow circled back over Atlantis. And you very nearly mashed me."

He tilted his head to give her a look from the corner of his eye as they passed out into the dim, quiet corridor. "Okay, so maybe I was snoring – a little. I did say I was sorry. But you fell asleep first."

As soon as they entered the transporter, Ronon took his arm from her shoulders. The walk from there to her quarters seemed torturously long, yet somehow not long enough. They halted outside her doorway. For a long moment they awkwardly stood gazing at each other, but without any physical contact at all. Teyla once more felt that ache start inside her. Sometimes it _hurt_, loving Ronon Dex so much; being married to him, having to keep that love hidden.

And from the look on his face, he suffered every bit as intensely as she.

They reached for each other at the same time, Ronon's arms going around her waist as hers locked around his shoulders. He lifted her completely off her feet and buried his face in her neck. She wound her fingers into his hair, even as she tried to convince herself this wasn't the best idea in the world. Even though it was very late, someone could possibly catch them.

"Ronon. . ." she started, but her throat closed against the rest of the words she knew she should say.

"I know. I know." Even as he mumbled that protest into her hair, he relaxed his hold on her, letting her slide down until her feet once more touched the floor. He started to step back from her, and she could see the effort it cost him to let go of her.

Something inside her broke, as if shattered by a bolt of the lightning they'd so recently watched. "I cannot _do_ this anymore, Ronon!" The words, although whispered, burst out of Teyla with all the force of the waves crashing onto the pier. "I cannot keep the secret, I _cannot_ stay away from you any longer. I do not want to _hide_ anymore." She folded her arms tightly across her diaphragm, almost ashamed to look at him, yet totally unable to look away.

One of Ronon's hands shot out and swept over her door controls. As the panels swished open, he just as suddenly swept her up into his arms. He stepped through into her quarters, kissing her deeply, demandingly, even before the door shut behind them.

"Tomorrow," he whispered against her lips, carrying her across the room to her bed. "We'll tell them tomorrow."

As Teyla surrendered herself to Ronon kiss, she made an inward vow that no matter what happened when they revealed their marriage to everyone, she would _not_ let Ronon go.

Never.

_-The End-_


End file.
